James Gunn Said He’d ‘Love to Put Henry [Cavill] in Something’ in the DCU — So Why Isn’t He on the Batman Shortlist?

James Gunn has mentioned publicly that he is keen on having Henry Cavill in the DCU. In fact, when he was on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Josh Horowitz asked him point-blank if it would be “too confusing” to cast the Superman actor in another role in the DCU after his exit. Gunn made it pretty clear that he was open to his return: “I would love to put Henry in something.” So why hasn’t that happened yet? While there have been plenty of reports about Alan Ritchson, Brandon Sklenar, and even Tom Brittney as Batman, there have been no reports about Cavill as Batman. And why not? He has the perfect look to play the Dark Knight in Batman: The Brave and the Bold. It’s time Gunn made good on his promise.

Although he was one of the best, if not the best, version of Superman, Henry Cavill could pass as Bruce Wayne and Batman and fill out the role in James Gunn’s DCU quite nicely. Before rabid Batman fans, especially Ben Affleck fans, get mad, they should look at some of the images of the Man of Steel actor in the Batsuit. They look amazing and prove that he could also wear the cowl and cape in an Elseworld Superman Speeding Bullets film if one were ever made. While many fans are rooting for Alan Ritchson or Jensen Ackles to play the role, Cavill could also be a great option, especially since Gunn is open to the idea of the actor returning as a different character in the DCU.

During that same Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Superman (2025) director explained that his deal with DC Studios actually closed on the same day that Henry Cavill announced that he would reprise his role as the Man of Steel. But the confusion around the announcement was not as simple as the headlines made it seem. A new Superman movie with a new actor was already locked in on paper, which threw Gunn and Cavill into a tough spot. “The day our [DC] deal closed, all of a sudden, they were announcing that Henry was back,” Gunn said. “And I’m like, ‘What is going on?’ We know what the plan is. The plan was to come in and do ‘Superman.’ So it was really unfair to him and a total bummer.”

The confusion came from Dwayne Johnson’s studio pushing its own vision, something Gunn insists “was never part of the equation.” So what did Gunn and his co-lead Peter Safran do? They sat down with Cavill to clear the air. Turns out, the British actor handled it like a pro. Gunn shared, “He was an absolute gentleman, a great guy about it. He said, ‘The only thing I ask is that I’m able to reveal it myself as opposed to it coming from you guys.’”

The biggest surprise of the interview, however, was when asked if it would be weird if Cavill could play a different role in the DC Universe, Gunn didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely not,” he said, revealing that he spoke to Henry about the possibility of actually joining the DCU at some point.

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Undoubtedly, Henry Cavill was one of the best Superman portrayals put to film. He not only looked the part and played Clark Kent and Kal-El with conviction, but he also burrowed himself into the hearts of many superhero fans across the globe. Sadly, Warner Bros dragged their feet for almost a decade, refusing to greenlight a Man of Steel sequel. The last film to feature the character was Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam in 2022 (via a short cameo), but sadly, Cavill exited the role soon after.

Despite wearing Superman’s mantle for almost a decade, he was underutilized by Warner in his role. As many fans will tell you, his version of the character was outstanding but had the potential to grow even more in Zack Snyder’s Justice League sequels.

Ben Affleck was also a great casting decision. After Christian Bale’s terrific performance as Batman in the Dark Knight trilogy, it seems that no one else could ever wear the cowl again. When it was announced that Affleck would portray the Caped Crusader in a new Batman film, he faced plenty of backlash and scorn. However, Affleck proved the naysayers wrong, giving an electric performance as Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not only was he superb in the role, but Affleck’s visage and overall physique proved unmatched in their similarity to Batman’s comic book depiction.

Each of these fine actors was perfectly cast as Batman and Superman. That said, images of Henry Cavill as Batman are striking. The actor looks shockingly good in the Batsuit. Cavill’s face and physique could easily pass for Bruce Wayne and Batman. Claudia Catherine Nieft released particularly compelling images of Henry Cavill as Batman on the Cursed AI Facebook group (made up of fans creating AI-generated images, not real photos, set leaks), showing just how perfectly he could have slipped into the role of Batman if he had been given a chance.

Of course, Reddit is having a field day with the idea, too. “No surprise. In most comics/shows, Bruce and Clark have essentially the same body type and a very similar face,” one user pointed out. Another added, “He did originally audition for Batman.” Fans are already picturing it: “That’s crazy that I’ve never thought of that but man does he look fantastic for a younger Bruce Wayne. I think he’d be great as Bruce.” Still, not everyone’s sold. “Having him play both Batman and Superman would be… weird,” one fan argued, while another said, “No because that would be super confusing.”

Henry Cavill (who many have fancast as the next James Bond) could easily have been offered the role of Batman if things had been different in his career. It would be interesting to see him play Bruce. Would he be able to conjure a playboy persona, and could he step into character as Batman? How would Batman’s dark and broody personality fit with Cavill in the role? We will probably never see the actor in the cowl, but based on these images, he could easily switch between Superman and Batman.

Cavill is keeping busy and is currently working on playing the immortal swordsman Connor MacLeod in a new reboot of Highlander for Amazon MGM alongside Russell Crowe and Dave Bautista. Plus, he’s got that Warhammer 40,000 series for Amazon coming too. And Voltron. But that’s not all. He has a spy comedy with Kevin Hart coming soon too. Maybe he just doesn’t have time to play Batman right now?

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